Ever wanted to be in charge? Well, in my own little world I will be, one day. Just not quite yet. I'm a bit tired at the moment... maybe I'll take over after I've had my little nap.
The United Dingdom - stating the bleeding obvious so you don't have to.
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Tuesday, 6 September 2016

What’s the point?

There’s a whole lot of disingenuity going on down Media Meadows
at the moment. Behind the closed doors of cosy cul-de-sacs heartbroken
Remainers are consoling each other and offering mutual support by coining delicious
little ditties to spread dissent. Listen to the Today programme early in the
morning on Radio 4 and you’ll hear such introductions as “despite Brexit”
such-and-such an index is back to its pre-June level. Or trade is bouncing back
after the “post-Brexit shock”. And just to be absolutely sure that the message
gets through any such recoveries are presented as temporary: “we mustn’t read
too much into what looks like good news” and “time will tell if this growth is
sustainable”... and on it goes.

Of course, any dips in trade, currency values, prices,
wages etc are largely as a result of business holding its breath and holding
back decisions because of the hell-fury, painful-death scenarios woven by
Project Fear in the run-up to the referendum. And any reversion to normality is
portrayed as valiantly fighting back against the damage done by the unthinkably
stupid will of ignorant, old, racist people who killed the United Kingdom. This
is true because this shining example of the righteous young says so.

With the exception of the self-fulfilling prophecy of the
“We’re going to crash! We’re going to crash! Oh god, we’re going to crash!” as
the establishment let go of the controls and prayed in the aisles little of any
consequence has yet to happen and independence offers all sorts of
opportunities as yet unrealised. Had it not been for the vote, July would have
been glossed over as a dip and the bounce greeted unequivocally good news. But
of course that does nothing to scare the little people.

On PM they have a new regular segment called Brexit
Street. Did they choose a middle of the road suburb with educated voices for
and against? Did they pick an area with a positive vision for the future, now
getting to grips despite originally being against? No, they chose Thornaby, a
deprived, northern post-industrial town in Teesside where harsh-on-the-cultured-southern-ear
northern accents assault the delicate Islingtonite sensibilities. Hearing those
tones up close they would instinctively flinch and give up their iPhone. Further, the programme features almost
exclusively those who play up to the ignorant, racist Neanderthal stereotype who
voted against civilisation.

And then they press government and Theresa May in whose
hands lie our fate: “But what does Brexit look like, eh?” they say, shoving the
microphone aggressively into the faces of any pro-Brexit figures who dare to
surface. “Where’s the £350million a week for the NHS, eh? Eh?” So yesterday’s apparent
volte-face on the much-lauded ‘points based immigration system’ was greeted
with derision and malicious glee by the Euro-rati. Another failed pledge, they
say, ignoring the fact that the Leave campaign as not conducted by anyone single
party with the power to unilaterally enact change. But let’s look at this one,
burning issue.

Australia of course, imposes conditions and quotas on top of the points,
so even if you stack up – age, health, qualifications, skill set, criminal
record (lack of, ironically) etc – there is no guarantee of a place unless
there is...an actual place and you behave yourself. But what Britain needs, apparently, is something very
different, according to Mrs May; we can’t be using any off-the-shelf remedies.

Oh no, what Britain needs is an entirely different procedure, which assesses applicants against a number
of criteria, say: age, health, qualifications, skill set, criminal record (lack
of) etc. Complement that with further controls regarding eligibility to stay on
and access to public services, benefits and so on and add, say, a cap on numbers and
bingo, you have a brand new method, completely different from anything else in
the world. A non-Australian-style, criteria-based pointless 'process'.
Oh yes; we invented practically everything else, let's get started on a new design for the wheel...